The Spirit sword recalibrating society…?

Monthly Archives: May 2017

I am shocked that in all the UK General Election coverage so far there has been so little focus (if any) on Corybn’s appalling record as leader of HM Opposition. 80% of his Party – over 170 MPs – voted against him in a motion of no confidence less than one year ago. One-time economic guru (Richard Murphy) gave this damning verdict on his fruitless time with Corbyn and his cronies: “there was no policy direction, no messaging, no co-ordination, no nothing. Shadow ministers appeared to have been left with no direction as to what to do. It was shambolic. The leadership usually couldn’t even get a press release out on time to meet print media deadlines and then complained they got no coverage.”

There are countless other tweets and comments from prominent Labour figures that all point to one simple message: Corbyn is unfit to lead. Surely, we should listen to those who are closest to this mess and have the most experience of his manifest failures. For the record, I tried to give Corbyn the benefit of the doubt and I do agree with many of his concerns about social justice, the Iraq war and the need to properly invest in public services. However, our negotiations with Brussels on the future UK-EU relationship will be fundamental to our future – we need someone who is capable of reaching a sensible deal and will be respected by those on the other side of the table.

Now, outlets like the BBC ask questions (rightly) about his views on the IRA, Trident and Brexit, but I’ve not heard once – since the election was called – any interviewer confront Corbyn and co with views of those who have seen him up close, in action. Those IRA quotes are about 20 years old; the criticisms of his leadership were made about 10 months ago! Which one do you think is more relevant? So, why does a questioner not just read out the critiques and see how they respond. Here’s just one example, from Scottish Labour candidate (Blair McDougall) on 23rd July 2016 as “utterly unfit to lead. Petty. Irresponsible. Small.” Imagine that plastered on posters across the country!

This is probably the most vital question in this election. There’s no point having an amazing manifesto if you cannot deliver it by holding together a majority in Parliament. Corbyn has given no evidence that he is even capable of doing so. He is a “hypocrite” who “lectures on loyalty, even though for decades he was himself grossly disloyal to Labour on literally hundreds of occasions”.

I struggle to understand how Corbyn ended-up elected as Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition. He has narrowed the viable options for government in this country by refusing to realise his unsuitability for leadership. I dread the prospect of PM Corbyn, sincerely hoping and praying that he is never allowed anywhere near 10 Downing Street.

I’m disappointed about the dark mutterings aimed by the SNP at Douglas Ross’ refereeing commitments. Firstly, it’s a positive that we have a politician who has a life outside the Parliament and engages in ordinary, wholesome activities, gaining experiences that broaden his horizons and keep him connected to real people. If he misses a Holyrood committee meeting, let’s remind ourselves that these are probably pointless as the indy-obsessed SNP currently represent a massive roadblock to any progress through our devolved institutions.

Secondly, consider the cheek of the Nats – they have two MPs suspended for financial scandals and another, Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, being investigated by the Law Society of Scotland. They’re the ones with the worst record of corruption and incompetence – who are they to throw stones in a desperate attempt to rescue Angus Robertson’s electoral prospects? Speaking of which, what has been doing at Westminster for the last 16 years – abstaining on numerous votes, using his position to divide the United Kingdom and claiming £1,119 for a TV on expenses (not to mention £20 for a corkscrew). Do, please, look them all up. As a former journalist and special advisor, I think our incumbent urgently needs a reality check.

The SNP have no coherent vision – they won’t even guarantee that we would re-join the EU as that would upset too many of their core voters. There’s no point in a strong voice for Moray/Scotland if they ignore what 57.56/55.3% of citizens are saying. We know that 300 years of shared history between two nations with a land border is much more important, and will always outweigh, a mere 40ish years in a less cohesive bloc. The fact is the SNP are hell-bent on a disastrous separation and will use any excuse to accomplish their narrow aims, ignoring the damage they inflict on Scotland through their chronic mismanagement. They are unprincipled and unfit for government of any sort (or even Opposition).

Meanwhile, Corbyn says he is “absolutely fine” with another divisive referendum and fails to command the loyalty of his own MPs, those who have seen him in action. Yes, it’s a mess, but – given the current choices – I believe we need to vote for change on 8th June. We must unite behind the only candidate capable of delivering a message to the ultra-nationalists and actually representing Moray.